The present invention relates to a transport for transporting combine headers such as corn, bean and grain headers or tables, and to an adjustable support therefor.
It is desireable to be able to detach the headers from combines to permit safe transit of the combine on public roadways. If the header is not detached from the combine, the overall combine assembly with its header typically would be too large to permit such safe transit. Accordingly, various transports have been known in the past to support the detached combine header and permit its transport separately from the combine. Such headers are of widely varying sizes and shapes depending upon their use, e.g. corn, bean or grain headers, and the identity of their manufacturer. Thus, the prior header transports have included adjustable mechanisms to permit the transport to be adjusted to accept the various shapes and sizes of headers which may need to be transported at different times.
These adjustable transport mechanisms have taken many structural forms and shapes from the very simple to the quite complex. In their simpler structural form, adjustability is achieved by a multiplicity of brackets, bolts and holes which permit adjustment of header support rails or brackets on the chassis of the transport in both the horizontal transverse direction relative to the chassis and in vertical elevation to accommodate the various sizes and shapes of the headers. However, these simpler adjustment assemblies are usually capable of adjustment in only one direction at a time, i.e. either in the horizontal or vertical direction. Thus, although these adjustment mechanisms are structurally simple, in practice they are difficult and time consuming to adjust to fit the particular shape of the combine header to be transported due to the multiple individual and incremental adjustments which are needed in order to accommodate the transport support rails or brackets to fit the size and shape of the particular header. Moreover, because of the multiple adjustments required, adjustment becomes complex and two people are usually required to perform the necessary adjustments.
More structurally complex scissors-type assemblies have also been employed in the past for adjustment of the header support rails or brackets. However, these scissors-type assemblies also usually require the loosening, moving and tightening of a number of bolts and the performance of multiple steps in order to accomplish adjustment in both the horizontal and vertical directions. Again usually more than one person is needed to perform the complex adjustments. Moreover, the scissors-type assemblies, because of their scissoring action, can also be dangerous to the personnel making the adjustments, and these assemblies are frequently excessively high off the roadway resulting in instability during transport.
A combine header transport which is both simple in construction and use and overcomes the several disadvantages experienced in the prior art header transports is described in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,825, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The header transport of my patent includes an adjustment assembly in which the support for the header may be rapidly and easily simultaneously, rather than incrementally, adjusted in both the transverse horizontal direction and in vertical elevation simply by the loosening and tightening of only a few bolts. That adjustment assembly is so simple in construction and use that adjustment may be accomplished easily by a single person and without the hazards attendant in the scissors-type assemblies. Moreover, that header support structure has a low profile and supports the header low to the roadway thus substantially improving stability during transport.
The adjustable support of the present invention is an improvement of the assembly disclosed in my prior patent. The adjustable support of the present invention not only enjoys all of the advantages which are enjoyed by my prior adjustment assembly, but further enjoys additional advantages. One such additional advantage is that it is only necessary to loosen one bolt rather than two when it is desired to adjust the support. Another advantage is that a wrench is not needed to effect adjustment, and adjustment is faster and easier. Still another advantage of the adjustment assembly of the present invention is that the possibility of lost parts, such as nuts, bolts, plates, etc., is substantially reduced because all of the parts of the assembly continue to be maintained collectively together during the adjustment procedure.
In one principal aspect of the present invention, a transport for transporting a large bulky object has a chassis on wheels for rollably supporting the chassis, and the chassis is formed of rails including at least a pair of rails spaced longitudinally from each other and extending transversely of the chassis. A surface is associated with at least one of the chassis rails which has an elongate slot extending substantially parallel to the surface. A support element adapted to support the object is provided and an adjustable mounting mounts the support element for movement along the slot in a direction substantially parallel to the surface to effect movement of the support element to permit adjustment of the support element to support one of the spaced portions of the object. The adjustable mounting comprises first and second plates respectively overlying and underlying the surface and its slot, and the first plate overlying the slot is fixed to the support element. First and second couplings spaced from each other extend between the first and second plates and through the slot to releaseably clamp the plates in the slot to prevent movement of the plates along the slot. An offset is located on at least one of the plates from which the first coupling extends to the other plate.
In another principal aspect of the present invention, the offset is located adjacent an end of the one plate.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the offset is on the second plate underlying the slot.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the second coupling may be relaxed to permit moveable adjustment of the support element without relaxation of the first coupling.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the second coupling comprises a fastener one end of which is adapted to engage the second underlying plate, and an opposite end which is adapted to releaseably tighten the fastener to the first overlying plate.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the fastener has a hook adjacent the one end of the fastener for engaging the second underlying plate.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the opposite end of the fastener is threaded, and a handle nut is positioned on the threaded opposite end.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, at least one bracket is positioned on one of the chassis rails, the bracket has a sloped surface and the slot extends substantially parallel to the surface.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the transport is constructed and arranged to transport a combine header.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.